Neighbours fight Mitcham childcare centre at 1 Orient Ave

Plans to build a 92-place childcare centre in a Mitcham residential street have alarmed the site’s neighbours.

The childcare centre is designed with a 20-space carpark at the front.

Plans for a 92-place childcare centre in a Mitcham residential street have alarmed the site’s neighbours.

They’re campaigning to have the application to demolish the house at 1 Orient Ave to make way for a childcare centre and carpark rejected by Whitehorse Council.

The proposed centre would operate from 6.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, employing up to 19 staff, and 23 trees would be cut down to built it and a 20-space carpark.

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Ailie Gallant is one of the residents letterboxing in Mitcham to alert others to the plans and urge them to oppose the “incredibly inappropriate development”.

The childcare centre is designed with a 20-space carpark at the front.

“A commercial centre with a large concrete car park out the front in the heart of a bushy, residential area represents and erodes the characteristics of the neighbourhood that everyone here loves,” she said.

Ms Gallant said she had spoken to more than 20 people against the idea.

She said residents were very concerned about the extra traffic and cars parked along the street that the centre would bring.

Ms Gallant said it could already take drivers two to three minutes to be able to turn onto Mitcham Rd from Orient Ave, while parked cars forced the road to be reduced to one-way traffic flow.

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The mother said she was aware Mitcham had previously had a shortage of childcare spaces, but said the suburb had plenty more appropriate locations for centres.

There have also been two childcare centres approved within 1km of the proposed site, on Simla St and Barkly Terrace.

The applicant was contacted for comment.